1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to checking out items for purchase in a retail environment, and more particularly for powering and controlling separate primary and auxiliary printers at a point of sale.
2. Background of the Related Art
Point Of Sale (“POS”) systems are specialized computer systems used in retail environments for facilitating the purchase of goods and other items by a customer. Modern POS systems typically include one or more POS terminals connected to a POS controller that aggregates and administers POS transaction data. Each POS terminal is typically located on a checkout counter and used by an operator to complete customer sales. A POS terminal typically includes user interface devices such as a cash register, check/debit card/credit card reader, bar code reader or radio frequency identification (“RFID”) chip reader, and so forth. The POS terminals may include a payment terminal for communicating over a network to various external payment systems, such as a credit card, debit card, or check processing system.
A printer may be attached to a POS terminal for generating a customer receipt. The receipt may be printed in a selected font and include transaction-specific information, such as a list of items purchased and the associated prices, a total purchase price, the date and time of the purchase, customer information, and payment information such as credit or debit card information. Many POS systems also include a separate coupon printer for printing coupons, a loyalty program message, or other information additional to what is printed on the receipt. A coupon printer may be connected directly to a separate host computer by a local area network in the store. A coupon printer is conventionally powered by a separate power supply to avoid exceeding the operational limits of the power supply on the POS terminal, since POS printer typically have high peak current demands.